Steel brush road drag



April 1935- L. J. DENSB'ERGER 1,997,248 I STEEL BRUSH ROAD DRAG Filed Oct. 15, 193 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 1935- L. J. DENSBERGER 1,997,248

STEEL BRUSH ROAD DRAG Filed Oct. 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Patented Apr. 9, 1935 1 v I u f V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i 1 1 8 I f 1 "s'rEE LBa sn ROADDRAG Densberger, Hastings, Nebr. Appeasement 15, 1931, Serial Ndseaosv' l on ins. (01. 37-143).

This invention relates to road dragsyand has tween by the meanssecuring the heads to: the for one of its objects to provide anovel drag of cross bars, to. the nd a the br s l n tthis character which shall be adapted to' smooth become accidentally detached from their heads, the roughsurfaces of dirt and gravelssurface The invention is hereinafter fully described roads and streets by-grindingaWay the high and and claimed, a d illustrated in the pany-r filling in the low spots ofnsuch surfaces. 1 ing drawing wherein:--- The invention has fora further-object to pro- Fi ur 1 is a t p pla v w of one of es e vide a drag of the characterstated which shall tions of a road d a constructed in c o a be adapted to maintain the surfaces of, .oiled h my invention; q

1o roads in smooth .conditionandwhich" shall be -F e a i aview in end elevationfon n n-. adapted to be used behind an oil-.distributer for lar ed scal of h m a c s the. purpose. of spreading the oil. smoothlyhver F gure 3 s a View n Side elevation On a n-. the surface being vtreated and for the'purpose. larged-scale of the ro d ra C- O of preventing the splashing of thev oil on .auto-, Figure a ona View. 1 an enlargedscale mobiles. takenpn the Vertical plane indicated by the line 15 The. invention has for1a furtherxobject toiproe 4 of, Figure 1. v v r I vide a road drag of -.the.character stated which i-Figure, 5 is a sectional view taken on the h0Ii shallibe adapted itoflremove "the. smallest. irreguzontal plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figurefl, larities from .dirtqrace-t'racks and.which. shall ;Figure 6 is atop plan view more or lessdiagrambe adapted to be used after .rainswand heavy matic of the road drag; and r 20 1 sprinklings to so;stiraup-thesurfacesof race- .Figure'? is a view in side elevation of one of tracksas to -result in the rapid dryi'ng: thereof. the brush bristles of the road drag.

To attain the foregoing and other objects, the j The road drag comprises. a plurality of secnature of.which will appear as the description" tions which maybe of square, oblong or other;

proceeds, the invention com'prehends the, proformationin plan and each of which comprises-25- vision of a road drag embodying sections .made side bars I and cross bars 2. The side bars l; up from a plurality ofxibrushes, arranged one in are made. ofangle iron, and are arrangedupon advance of the other and:each-including groups the cross bars; 2 with their vertical flanges Ia; of spring steel bristles. i l J extending-upwardly from the outer edges ofztheir The invention further :comprehends-theeprohorizontalflanges lb. The cross bars 2 are made 30 vision of 'a road drag of thecharacter stated of'channel iron with their hollow. sides disposed wherein the-brushes of .the. sections thereof may lowermost. The cross bars 2 are secured at their. be arranged-to extend; at a right ora lesser ang endsto thehorizontal flanges Ib'of the side bars to the longitudinal axis'of the road; 1 I by bolts 3, and the vertical flanges la of the The 1; invention further comprehends "the proside bars are terminally provided with clevisesv 4. visionfofla road drag of the character: stated Brushes 5' are secured to the cross bars 2; wherein eachbrush shall embody a head C0n'.- Each brush comprises. a head 6 and bristles I. sisting of upper and lower bars, wherein the The heads 6' which are substantially equal in bristles shall be secured' to the upper'bar and length to the cross bars 2,,consist of upper metal 40' pass freely through the lower bar, wherein the bars 8 and lower wood bars 9, and are arranged 40 upper bar shall be made from metal to provide within the channels of the cross bars. The, side a strong connection between the bristles and wallslfl of the channels ofthe cross bars 2 con head; and wherein the lower bar shall'be made verge upwardly, and the sides ll of the headst of wood tOzDIOVldG a cushion forfthe bristles; also converge upwardly and contact with the side The: invention further comprehends the prowalls'of the channels. The heads 6 have a Wedge vision of a road drag of the character stated fit in the cross bars 2, and are held'thereinby wherein each section shall embody side barsand bolts I2 which are also used for the purpose of, cross bars, and wherein the cross bars-i-shall be drawing theheads into the cross bars. of channel formation for the reception of the The bristles T are made from oil tempered heads of the brushes. spring steels,'and have their upper portions err-.50.

The invention further comprehends the proranged in openings 13 and I4 formed'in the head vision of :a road drag .of the character stated bars 8 and9, respectively. These bristles T are so wherein the bristles shall be provided with anguconstructed-that they will readily flex rearwardly l'a'r upper end portions positioned between the upon'forward movement ofthe brush or drag and g heads and the Crossbars and clamped therebe-f after sliding over one projection in theroadway,

the bristles T will swing forwardly and in this forward swinging movement will strike subse-' quent projections with suflicient force to loosen or cut off these subsequent projections and then push these loosened projections forwardly until a cavity is reached or until the loosened material moves between the groups of bristles. The upper end portions of the bristles l are bent to provide retaining elements l which are arranged at right angles to the bristles and which, are positioned and clamped between the head. bars 8 and the cross bars 2. The bristles I are arranged in relatively spaced groups and each group consists preferably of eight bristles. The bristles of each group are normally in contact and" have a snug fit in the head bar openings 13 i4,.and the attaching elements l5 of the bristles are longer than the diameter of saidopenings.

view thereof, and as the attaching elements liarsclamped between the cross bars 2 and heads 6, the bristles l are positively held against acci-' dental displacement from the heads. Themetal head bars 8 add strength and ri'g idity to the headsfand the wood' head bars 9 function as cushions for the bristles fl'whenthe bristles are flexed as the result of their; engagement with 7 the road surface being treated.

The groups or bristles of each brush '5 are arranged in staggered relation, as shownFigure 5', in order that each portion of the road surface being treated will besubj-ected to the action. of the bristles. l i

The sections or the-road drag are arranged in sidewise relation with the vertical flangesa of theirside bars t incontact andare held in'such relation by certain of the clevises L--A- drag chain i9 for'securi ng the-road dragtoa tractor road'oil machine o'r thedike, has a-central branch "a and side branches Nib, the centralybranch being secured to the central front cle'vis 4, the side branches being secured to the side front clevises 4. The cross bars 2 oi-"the road drag sections may be arranged aline'm'ent', as shown by solid-lines in Figure 6; ortheymay be err-- ranged in angular relation as shownby' broken lines in this figure, the bolts 3 connecting the cross bars 2 tothe side bars I in a manner to permit them to be arranged in alinedor angularrelation.'- When the cross bars 2 are arranged in angular relation the centratbranch Woof the tractor chain [6 is omitted. If desired but one section" may be employed and when but one sec-'- tion is employed the drag chain is connected to two of the clevises of such sections.

In practice, the dragis moved'along the road to be smoothed with the" lateral ends of'the: bristies l in contact with the surfaoe'offthe The weight of the drag will-hold'the bristles in engagement with the surface of 'the, road, wi'th the result that the surfacewill be subjected by is used on a dirt race-track the bristles will re move all irregularities therefrom, and will when used after a rain or heavy'sprinkling so stir-up the surface or-"the race-trach'as to permit it to dry rapidly. When the drag is to be used on dirt race tracks the upper and lower bars of the brush heads will be both made of wood so as to lighten the machine for the particular Work to be done.

The machine may also be used for the purpose of preparing ground before seeding small grain, for smoothing and finishing the bottoms of irrigation ditches, and for dragging out roots on any weeded surface.

While I have described the principle of the invention, together with the structure'whichI now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may Rae-made, when desired, as fall within the scope of. the invention as claimed.

vWhat is claimed is:

1. road drag including a cross bar having a channel in its underside, a head bar located in the channel of and secured to the cross bar, and steet. bristles passing: through thev head bar and angular upper end portions p0.- siti'oned between the head: bar and cross bar.

2'. A road drag including a cross bar having. a chamnel in its underside, a metalv upper head bar and a wood lower head bar located in the channel; ot. and secured to the. cross bar, and spring steel bristles passing. through the. head bars and having angular upper ends positioned between the upper head bar and the cross bar.

' 3*. A road drag including a cross bar-having a undersidafa head bar located in channel and secured to'the cross bar and provided with relatively spaced openings arranged in staggered relation, and groups of close-- 1y relutedsp ringsteel bristles having their uppenpertionssnngly fitting. in said openings and provided at their uppenendsy with angular attaehm: eiernents positioned between the head bauand crossinr.

L; A maddrag including'a cross bar having a channel underside-, the. channel having upwardly'oonwerging side walls, a head bar! having upwardly converging sides located in and havin a wedge fit in channel oi the cross bar, bolts passing through the cross and head bars to secure saidbars together; and spring steel bristles secured to the head bar.

5. A road drag including side bars having herizontal and-vertical. flanges, cross bars provided their lower sides with. channels and having their web in; contact with the undersaid horizontal flanges, bolts securing the cross bars to the side bars. for adjustment into right angular or a smaller angular position with relationttheretd. head bars secured within the chann'ek of the cross bars, and spring: steel bristles secured to the head bars.

6 =.,A;1oad drag. including a channeled cross bar and: an apertuxed baur secured thereto, and groups of resilient. metallic bristles passing through the apertures of the head bar and; hav-- angularupper end portions positioned between the head bar and the crossbar.

7;- A. road drag-including a cross bar and: an apertured bead bar." secured thereto, and groups or metalzlio bristles. passing through the apertures Qfthfi: head bar and having angular upper end portions. positioned. between the head bar and the cross bar. V

8..A-road)'dmag including a. cross. bar and: an apeztured head bar thereto, and groups 03 oylzintlrically; arranged metallic bristlesv pass.-

through the apertures oi the head bar, said groups; of I heingi spaced from each other with their lower ends out of contact with each other and being arranged in staggered relation.

9. A road drag including a cross bar and an apertured head bar secured thereto, and groups of metallic bristles passing through the apertures of the head bar, said groups of bristles being spaced from each other with their lower'ends out of contact with each other and being arranged in staggered relation.

10. A road drag including a cross bar and an apertured head bar secured thereto, and groups of bristles passing through the apertures of said head bar, each of said groups of bristles consisting of a solid cylindrical bundle of resilient metal-' lic bristles each having an angular upper end 7 portion positioned between the head bar and the cross bar.

11. A road drag including a crossbar and an apertured head bar secured thereto, and groups of bristles passing through the apertures of said head bar, each of said groups of bristles consisting of a solid bundle of resilient metallic bristles each having an angular upper end portion positioned between the head bar and the cross bar.

12. A road drag including a cross bar and a head bar secured thereto, and groups oi. bristles passing through said head bar with the upper ends thereof abutting against said crossbar,

each of said groups of bristles consisting of a solid cylindrical bundle of resilient bristles, the peripheral bristles of said bundles having outwardly and radially projecting portions.

of said groups of bristles consisting of a solid head bar secured thereto, and groups of resilient bristles seated in the apertures and dependingbelow the head bar, each member of said bristles constituting a resilient smoothing means capable, upon being flexed rearwardly by contact with a relatively fixed projectionin a road and sliding over said projection, of swinging forwardlyv with sufiicient'force to cut off or loosen'subsequent projections. V

LEON J DENS BERGER. 

